The present disclosure relates to solar energy, and more specifically, to a method of tracking the sun with a solar collector.
A solar tracking system typically includes a moving planar structure on which photovoltaic modules are mounted, a drive system to move the structure, a control system, and a base structure for mounting the tracking system to the ground or suitable support structure. The tracking system is designed to point or direct the photovoltaic modules on the moving planar structure towards the sun. Optical sensors, for example, are often used to track the sun when the sun is visible. Though accurate, these sensors are not effective in tracking the sun's location during periods in which the sun is obscured (e.g. by cloud cover). Once the sun reappears, time is then generally lost while the sensor slews the photovoltaic modules back towards the location of the sun's reappearance. In concentrating photovoltaic systems, this lost time amounts to power loss.